The Weight of the Nation: Surprising Lessons About Diets, Food, and Fat (Hardcover)

The weight of the nation is out of control. We’re fat and getting fatter.

When more than two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese, there’s no denying we have a serious problem. But whose fault is it?

Americans are more health-conscious than ever before. Since the 1970s, the mortality rate from both cardiovascular disease and stroke has dropped dramatically. Stores have more healthy, low-fat food options; fewer Americans are smoking; and many people now regularly monitor their blood pressure and cholesterol levels. We can’t blame our obesity epidemic on a big decline in personal responsibility or on our collective failure to stay on a diet. So what can we blame?

HBO, together with the Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences, brings you the hard truth: There are powerful forces at work in the world and in our bodies that make it too easy to gain weight, too hard to lose it, and even harder to keep it off. But there’s reason for hope and proven ways to overcome all these obstacles.

If you're thinking about reading this book for a new diet, I suggest you click the back button and look elsewhere. If you're looking to make a lifelong change in your eating and active living, continue on. "The Weight of the Nation" takes a look at our growing obesity epidemic, laying out the facts, and goes into great detail on what's wrong and why we need to change. It gives you the honest truth: losing weight is hard, and maintaining weight loss is even harder. Among the detailed explanations of how far we have come from natural foods and the external forces working against us in our fight to lose weight are success stories and tidbits of information of little changes that can make big differences in our lives. The book closes with some tips for healthy eating and active living, being healthy throughout pregnancy, and the benefits and risks of bariatric surgery. As a companion book to the upcoming HBO documentary series of the same name, this easy read is well worth your time if you are interested in making a healthy change in your life, your community, and even at the national level.